My friends in Celtic, for the first time in four years we start a league campaign as champions. We carry a slender-but-hopeful lead into the second leg of our Champions League third qualifying round tie, and we are hotter favourites to win the league this season, than North Korea’s Supreme Leader’s favourite Pyongyang team would be, if he was to playing as striker.
Quite simply, the return on money placed on Celtic to win the league this season more accurately reflects a tax-free savings plan than a gamble. The bookies will hold your money until March or April then return it with some interest. Your rate of return will directly reflect the interest they can earn elsewhere.
This is the ninth eve-of-the-season we have reported on the state of the club. During this time we have gone toe-to-toe with a competitor who tried so hard to get the better of us, they ran up unsustainable debts, which could reach £134m, and which will never be paid or forgiven.
Celtic ran a better operation, were commercially sharper, had by far the best scouting system in the country, but paid their bills and ‘lost’ five leagues in this time.
Living with this was hard. In fact, it tore the Celtic support apart. The question was simple, “If they can, why can’t we?”
They couldn’t, and now the ideological debate is over. Mantras we have heard for decades have proven to be false. ‘Speculate to accumulate’ and ‘For every fiver Celtic spend….’ were suitable for an inflating market, where player values, TV contracts and match day revenues rose consistently, but this strategy was fatally flawed.
Whatever was accumulated in Scottish football it was never financial reserves, so when revenues dipped, or the vagaries of sporting fortune denied the wealthy their anticipated earnings, Armageddon happened – for one club!
Students of economic history will be able to tell you that even the most obvious economic lessons are eventually forgotten. New people arrive, achieve some early successes which reaffirm their ideological beliefs (in this instance ‘We deserve more money to be spent on footballers’), make no provisions for the inevitable change in circumstances, before disappearing into the obscurity from which they came, leaving others to live with the consequences.
Here is the true State of your Club. Celtic will continue its trajectory without changing what has been orthodoxy since the last century. Over any business period we will spend whatever money comes into the club. In normal times debt levels will trend downwards, providing space for the afflictions of fortune to be accommodated. We will most likely promote more players from our precocious youth system and buy fewer squad fillers than in the past.
The blink-junkies, who still believe in the values of Sir David Murray, will be reminded on these pages of their consequences *.
When this period of our history ends, we will reflect back on what, by then, will be the most successful period of any club, in any country. Ever. Those of you who lived through Lisbon are now enjoying the second Golden Generation of our club, but this time, nine years will not contain it. This Generation will stretch from 2000 as far as your mind’s eye can see, if only someone would coin a catchy phrase to encapsulate this successful period!
The Battle of the Ages is over, Celtic have prevailed, as did every Scottish football fan who wanted the madness to end. We won!
Thanks to everyone who bought a raffle ticket to help with our summer charity causes. Enjoy the season. I will.
*At the moment I’m reading End this Depression Now by Nobel Economics Laureate Paul Krugman, an excellent insight into how even the most eminent allow what they want to believe to obscure some of the lessons every economics under-grad is taught. It’s also a fine retort to the political classes who believe there’s nothing we can do for the economy but strangle it a little tighter.
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Apologies if allready common knowledge, but….. ITV4 showing the Celtic V RMadrid game from 1815 pm next Saturday night.
Hail Hail
Neil Lennon & McCartney
Aye, I also trust in Lenny, just a pity that PL doesn’t.
He has been asking for a CH and a striker for long enough, we have off loaded 10 from the squad, that is a fair whack off the wage bill.
I am not asking for the club to spend money they don’t have, just re-invest the saved wages on what the manager wants, seems to be asking for too much for some of the posters on the blog, obviously PL has been reading the blog, as he feels the same
Sannabhoy is in charge the Bus, in the charge the bus…
Great day, thank you Taggsybhoy and Blantyrekev…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Palacio67
The game is on Spanish tele as well.
Swithering as to go out and watch or not, couldn’t handle the ribbing if we are humped :>))))
Was looking on sky earlier for who won the CQN open, seems like they didn’t have a reporter at the course…..who is the champion ????????
No doubt the photos will be on the blog later.
Take care and god bless
HH
THE EXILED TIM on 4 August, 2012 at 01:16 said:
=================
Fear not, get yourself out with the locals for a few Cervesa’s, enjoy the occassion.
HH
TET (if I may be so bold!)
I have to agree – what are we waiting for? Maybe to see if we offload someone for big bucks? A risky strategy that has failed before.
HH
Cheers guys had a great day out at the Golf today.
Taggsybhoy your course is excellent!! .John held this evenings event together really well with help from Michael who I had the pleasure of golfing with today.
Top notch entertainment from Paul67 and Big Yogi Hughes…….fantastic goldfish story!!!
Looking forward to next Year…HH
Keepthehighballslow:
Still on the Sannabhoy express…TTT home, we are driving through ML3, still E.K., Blantyre before Coatbridge…when, good question.
Good to meet you today mate…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Paul67,
A fine article, amongst your best.
Hope everyone enjoys tomorrow as I miss yet another flagday.
Have a great day my good friends.
In keeping with the tenor of Paul67’s article,this is illustrative of what we all have to tolerate in UKplc. No wonder lil’ ol’ Sevco thinks it can get away with it:
http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2012/07/09/revealed-the-93m-city-lobby-machine/
Is the Bangra bus home yet?
Taggsybhoy, BlantyreKev, John McD – well done on organising a great day. I have after many years trying, I finally managed to lose my CQN charity golf day virginity
Has DougC fallen asleep yet?
hh
One of my earliest memories of the legendary Belfast Celtic came on a cold January afternoon in 1941. That day I was privileged, along with thousands of others, to witness a truly magnificent performance from the Celtic great Peter O’ Connor. Glenavon were the team who were on the wrong end of a 13-0 thrashing, with eleven of those goals coming courtesy of O’ Connor – it was a truly magical display.
Within a few years, I was to have the honour of wearing the Celtic shirt on the field of dreams that was known as ‘Paradise’.When I think back, I can remember perfectly the sights, the smells and the tremendous noise that rolled off the terraces of Celtic Park. I was one of the fortunate ones who had the opportunity to play for Celtic, many thousands could only dream as they cheered from the terraces. When the club left football in 1949, my fellow colleagues and I moved on to pastures new. However, I remember well the sense of deep loss that everyone felt at that time – and, indeed, still do to this day. What hurt the most though was that it was all so sudden and, as we soon realised, so final.
With the demise of Celtic, West Belfast lost a facet of life that was part of the social fabric of the area. The ground stood defiantly on the Donegall Road for many years, but as time passed it turned into an eyesore. In 1983, the diggers moved in and the final nails were placed into the coffin of Belfast Celtic. There were rumours from time to time that the club would return in some form, but, alas, that never came to pass. Indeed, many of the former players kept in touch, and do so to this day. However, all we have left are our memories, wonderful memories. In the hungry thirties, the people of West Belfast had a saying about their cherished team,
When we had nothing, we had Belfast Celtic;
When we had Belfast Celtic, we had everything
The legendary Belfast Celtic have gone, but not from the folklore of Belfast. They meant everything to their followers, their players and officials. This book will help to preserve the name of Belfast Celtic for future generations and I commend Barry Flynn for producing this first-rate account of the history of the club and for putting the story within its proper context.
Jimmy Donnelly
Belfast Celtic
1947 – 1948
Introduction
When Belfast Celtic left Irish football in 1949, a void was created in the Irish sporting world that has not been adequately filled since. Their passing remains shrouded in a mystery that has still to be unravelled. Some observers will pinpoint the events surrounding the infamous 1948 Boxing Day clash with Linfield as the only reason the club quit the game. The savage beating that was endured at the hands of a small section of the Linfield fans by Celtic striker Jimmy Jones was indeed a truly shocking affair. Irish football was shaken to its very core by the incident and the theory exists that the Celtic Directors decided that very evening to leave Irish soccer. This notion, whilst credible, does not solve the conundrum.
The soccer club known as Belfast Celtic existed for fifty-eight years. Established in 1891, the team soon captured the imagination of the people of West Belfast and further afield. Home games at their ground Paradise saw thousands of loyal supporters flocking to the stands and terraces, with the streets around the Falls Road alive with excited fans. Away games saw trains depart from Belfast’s Great Victoria Street station packed with fans bedecked in green and white bound for grounds in Derry, Dublin, Portadown, Lurgan, Newtownards and Bangor. The fans had their heroes who were treated like gods on the streets where they lived. Mickey Hamill, Sam Mahood, Charlie Tully and Jimmy Jones were just a few of the names that found greatness amongst the Celtic support. The trophy cabinet at Celtic Park was ever-expanding, whilst the turnstiles were forever turning. In the late 1920s, they eclipsed every other team in local soccer and became the truly dominant force. Again in the 1930s, under the inspirational management of Elisha Scott, the club was beyond doubt in a league of its own. Linfield, their nearest rivals, and the rest of the Irish League could only look on in awe. Scott’s side was truly legendary and brought pride to their supporters, whilst setting the highest standards in the local game. However, for all their glory and fame, Belfast Celtic existed in a society that was split bitterly along religious grounds. The green and white hoops of Celtic were loved and despised by followers of football and politics alike. Belfast Celtic claimed the mantle of Irish football’s most prominent, successful and best-supported Catholic team – they were ploughing a very lonely furrow in this regard.
As football grew in popularity in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, so did the attendances at matches. It was sadly inevitable that the political upheavals in Ireland during that period would manifest themselves brutally on the terraces of local grounds. Whenever Celtic played Linfield or Glentoran, especially, the potential for sectarian violence always existed. Periodically, there was bloodshed on the terraces that tarnished the local game. These outbursts were not just mere hooliganism, but an expression of a deep-seated hatred that has scarred the history of Belfast. Political tension on the streets invariably provoked outrage within the grounds. In 1912, the Home Rule issue was the backdrop for one of the most serious riots in the history of Irish football. Ireland, and Belfast particularly, stood on the threshold of the political and sectarian abyss as the political temperature rose to dangerous levels. Celtic faced their old rivals Linfield on 12 September, in a game that was to have serious repercussions on the streets of Belfast and beyond. Shooting broke out inside the ground and violence spread throughout the streets and the game was abandoned. On the following Monday, Catholic workers were intimidated from the shipyards and factories of Belfast. The riot made headlines across the London papers just two weeks before Ulster Day, when almost half a million Unionists would sign the Solemn Covenant against Home Rule. In hindsight, the riot at Celtic Park was a premeditated attempt by persons unknown to provide a foretaste of what Belfast would be like in the event of Home Rule: simply ungovernable. Those whose political agenda was to highlight this fact achieved their political aims by instigating the riot.
The coming of the Great War postponed the anarchy that was to eventually prevail in Belfast from 1920 to 1922, by which stage Celtic had wisely withdrawn temporarily from local football. A serious riot in March 1920, when a Celtic ‘fan’ fired shots into the Glentoran crowd during an Irish cup-tie, showed the potential for violence that existed. Wisely, Celtic opted out of football as Belfast turned in on itself and the state of Northern Ireland was eventually born in communal violence. In 1924, things had settled down sufficiently for Celtic to return to football. Thereafter, there were to be periodic outbursts of violence, but not on the scale that been witnessed previously. Despite the perception that Northern Ireland was ‘at peace’ with itself, the religious chasm was deepening. Attending a Celtic match away from Paradise was a dangerous affair. The stories of Celtic supporters being ‘chalked’ inside grounds are legion, with a discreetly-placed white mark on the back of a jacket having serious consequences for an individual in the streets outside where the mobs waited. However, as with everything in Belfast, violence was always a two-way thing when religion was brought into the equation. In reality, Belfast Celtic always had its own fair share of ‘hangers-on’.
POLITICAL FOOTBALL: THE LIFE & DEATH OF BELFAST CELTIC
by Barry Flynn
Celtic dominated football in the run up to the Second World War and were virtually untouchable with their ‘new-fangled’ scientific method of play. Soccer was to be curtailed during the war years, but in 1947/1948 it was business as usual as the club took the league title. As Celtic’s final season dawned, the side was truly in its ascendancy. The attendances at football grounds across Britain and Ireland were rocketing as the sport enjoyed a boost in the post-war years. Then, on 27 December 1948, Celtic and Linfield clashed at Windsor Park in a do or die clash that would in all probability decide the championship. What happened that day is well-documented in this book and is now part of the folklore of Belfast. Suffice to say that the scenes witnessed after the game put Belfast back on the world sporting map for all the wrong reasons. Four months later, Celtic had left Irish soccer, never to return. One question remains: why did this happen?
In reality, the Linfield game in 1948 did not occur in a vacuum. Politics and sectarianism, as always, were coursing through the veins of the citizens of Belfast. The period leading up to the ‘Jimmy Jones Incident’ saw relations between Unionists and Nationalists hit rock bottom, yet again. Southern Ireland, or the ‘Free State’ was in the process of declaring itself a Republic, while Unionists feared for the future of Northern Ireland. Bigotry and hatred were stirred up by those who should have known better. The combination of sectarian hatred, a ‘do or die’ match, alcohol, two players being sent off and an irresponsible announcement about the extent of an injury to a Linfield player, whipped the mob into a frenzy. All these factors contributed to incite a number of individuals to exact on Jimmy Jones their own form of Belfast justice. Despite the fact that Jimmy Jones was from a Protestant background, the colour of his shirt and undoubted brilliance made him ‘fair game’ to the rampaging Linfield mob. What happened that dark December day was truly shameful, but the episode in itself leaves a lot of questions unanswered regarding Celtic’s withdrawal. So, what was going on within the Board of Directors at Celtic Park? Inconveniently, the minute books of the club for that crucial period are ‘missing’. The ‘men in the know’ took their secrets and their shares to the grave.
Apologies, the second part of that post should have been:
Political Football – The Life and death of Belfast Celtic by Barry Flynn; Nonsuch Publishing; 176 pages illustrated; £14.99 paperback.
On 27 December 1948, rioting broke out during a match between Belfast Celtic and Linfield. Jimmy Jones, a prolific goalscorer for Belfast Celtic, was dragged from the pitch by the opposing fans, and beaten so badly that his career was ended. And with that ended the existence of Belfast Celtic after fifty-eight years in the game.
In Political Football Barry Flynn traces the development of the team from its beginnings, in an attempt to discover the reasons behind the tragic events.
Like that of every football club, the story of Belfast Celtic is one of victories and defeats. Theirs, however, is a story riddled with violence and hatred culminating in near-murder.
Political Football reveals how the political and social unrest that took hold of the city of Belfast was reflected in the history of the club, how tensions between two communities spilled onto both the pitch and the terraces, with devastating consequences.
Political Football promises to be a valuable reference for anyone with an interest in the famous Belfast counterpart of our own club, and in this extract the author describes the events surrounding the brutal assault on Celtic’s Jimmy Jones:
On 21 April 1949, the legendary Belfast Celtic resigned from Irish soccer four months after one of the ugliest incidents in the history the game. On Boxing Day, 1948, violence spilt onto the pitch at a Belfast Celtic v Linfield match at Windsor Park. The events of that day were the beginning of the end of one of the most successful Irish football teams ever. Sports historian and writer Barry Flynn looks back….
For two teams whose grounds were less that half a mile apart, Belfast Celtic and Linfield could well have existed in different universes. The sectarian divide kept both communities encased within their own areas and in front of 27,000 feverish spectators, a bruising and bad-tempered encounter ensued.
One player’s name became synonymous with the events that fateful day; his name was Jimmy Jones, the bustling Celtic forward from the Co Armagh town of Lurgan. In a twist of terrible fate, an accidental collision between Jones and the Linfield defender Bob Bryson in the thirty-fifth minute of the game, led to Bryson being stretchered off the field with a broken ankle. Mid-way through the second half, it was announced on the public address system that Bryson’s ankle had been broken. Given the tinderbox that existed within the ground, it was, to say the very least, an irresponsible act.
Given the festive season, there could be no doubt that a significant number of supporters had ‘drink taken’ before the match and many came with bottles to fortify themselves against the cold. A small detachment of RUC officers patrolled the ground and kept their eyes on the spectators but nothing untoward was expected that December day. The Belfast correspondent of the Irish Times reported that police moved through the terraces with batons drawn to try and stamp out any disorder before the game began. The signswere ominous as referee Norman Boal blew his whistle in the cauldron that was Windsor Park.
The game intensified and the tension in the ground rose considerably as rain began to fall and the light began to disappear. Ten minutes from the interval, the crowd erupted as the clash between Jones and Bob Bryson saw the Linfield defender writhe in agony as a stretcher was called for to take him from the field. The net result, given that no substitutes were then permitted, was that Linfield were now down to ten men and at a disadvantage as the game approached half-time.
Shortly afterwards, Linfield forward Jackie Russell was pole-axed and taken from the field after he had been hit full-on by the football and as the whistle blew for the break, Linfield had only nine fit players on the field. The opening forty-five minutes had laid the foundations for the chaos to come. The ground possessed an undertone of serious violence and sectarian hatred was bubbling below the surface.
When it was announced over the public address system that Bryson’s leg, rather than his ankle, had been broken, the genie was most certainly out of the bottle. This act of folly shortened considerably the odds of a backlash against Jones and the Celtic players. The game resumed in gathering darkness with Linfield still two players short. Russell had been sent to the Royal Victoria Hospital with severe bruising, while Bryson had a broken ankle.
With the game poised and scoreless, the temperature reached perilous heights when Celtic’s Paddy Bonnar and Linfield’s Albert Currie were sent off after they clashed with eighteen minutes left. Gaps opened up on the terraces as fighting broke out among spectators on the Spion Kop and the police again drew their batons. With ten minutes to go Linfield full-back Jimmy McCune upended Celtic’s Jackie Denver in the box and to the roar of the Celtic fans, Boal awarded a penalty from which Harry Walker scored. The situation was now bordering on the brink of chaos as Celtic seemed certain to take the points.
Many thousands of supporters sensed that there would be trouble and headed for the exits as the match entered its closing stages. However, Linfield attacked in search of an equaliser and were rewarded four minutes from time when Isaac McDowell burst down the wing and found Billy Simpson in the box.
The Linfield forward made no mistake as he finished past Kevin McAlinden to square the game. Immediately, masses of Linfield fans surged from the terraces and invaded the pitch in celebration. The police present battled to clear the field and the remainder of the game was played out amid a deafening roar. The final whistle saw the Linfield mob on the Spion Kop overrun the field and they began again to attack the Celtic players.
Furthest from the pavilion, at the far end of the field, was the solitary figure of Celtic’s Jimmy Jones. In addition to the ‘sin’ of being involved in the Bryson incident, Jones was targeted as he was, quite simply, a sublime footballer who had already scored twenty-six goals that season. By the time Jones had made his way to the running track at the side of the pitch, the ringleaders from the Spion Kop had reached him and he was dragged over the parapet into the terrace below the main stand.
The 20-year-old was now at the mercy of the baying mob as police elsewhere tried to clear the field. In the stand watching in horror were Jones’ mother and father who had travelled up from Lurgan for the occasion. What followed in the terrace was brutal and prolonged. Jones was trapped and hidden in a sea of bodies while the rest of the Celtic team battled through the raging crowd.
The beating was merciless on Jones. He was punched in the back of the head. However, as he tried to make his way up the terrace away from his attackers, he was tripped and dragged back down the steps.
The core of the mob now consisted of about thirty men and unhindered they set about the prostrate Jones.
The attackers knew what they were doing and immediately began to jump on the legs of the player to ensure maximum damage was inflicted on his career.
Heavy hob-nailed boots danced on Jones’ leg and ankle as the frenzied crowd took turns to jump on the hapless player. He was kicked around the terraces like a rag doll.
After what seemed like an age, a police constable arrived and tried to intervene.
Immediately, he shouted at the mob, ‘If you don’t stop kicking him I’ll use my baton!’ Not surprisingly, he too was beaten back as the attack continued unabated.
Despite the danger, a close friend of Jones – Ballymena goalkeeper Sean McCann – waded into the madness from his seat in the grandstand.
He wrapped himself around the screaming player, guarding his leg, which was badly broken. Finally, a dozen police officers arrived to aid Jones and the mob dispersed post-haste. It was too late, the damage had been done and the repercussions were about to begin.
bjmac, unfortunately not , nor blantyre kev.
everyone safely xelivered home although I seem to have gained the ntl top. who won it ? curly
got jobo’s glasses andr someone’s
umbrella. any claimers.
another excellent cqn day out. bed now and the kano foundation will be welcoming gartcraig boys club for the flag day.
hail hail
aint it grand go be
a tim
A terrible cautionary tale.
The huns remain the same to this day.
Shame on them and all who encourage them.
Goal!: The dream begins full movie (It is in English)
Can I ask every Celtic supporter who gets faced with the “you can’t strip titles , it wasn’t the players fault” , to give a standard response.
If Falkirk play illegally registered players against Rangers in the Ramsdens Cup , is that OK ?
If every SFL 3 club plays illegally registered players and
Rangers don’t get promotion, is that OK ?
Rangers fans want the rules not to be applied against them. For the likes of Dodds to be voicing this position is not surprising. He is after all a proven liar and tax evader.
Tell me what the SFA could do if any club plays illegally registered players in the future , if they take no action against Rangers ?
The demands to keep titles that were won through cheating, is the most damaging of all.
Rangers fans view, supported by the likes of Dodds, McCoist, Gough and other cheats is that as long as its Rangers, anything goes.
If football in Scotland is to have any future, the corrupt status quo must be broken.
Stripping titles, if found guilty, is Scottish Footballs Sea Change moment. It is critical justice is seen to be done
Roll out the Flag….
And Roll On The Green…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isXaRAOw0lg&feature=related
What will the rest of the SPL teams do, especially Celtic, if the team with no name keep Celtic’s titles? Will our club and heritage be as gutless as the powers that be? I certainly hope not because Celtic in its entire history, have never lay down. Indeed, they would be shaming every single fan from 1888 till now and beyond. The club and us its bloodline would never again walk with our heads held high. Mr. Chairman and co. we’ra all depending on you.
YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE !
Morning from a war
And pleasant Turkey
Couple of hours in the shade then off into town to watch the hoops on flagday
Hope the golf day was as good as ever and that malarbhoy. Looked after the two olefins in my absence
Morning Celts
First game of the season at CP….. C’mon you Bhoys in Green!
HH
Morning BT, hope yir enjoying you’re hols, why you up so early?
V
blantyretim
Clearly corresponding from the Turkish/ BBC side of the Syrian border.
Stay safe.
Vinny
Two hours ahead in Turkey and behaved last night. Enjoy flagday mate
PJbhoy
Indeed, meant to tell u my young cous was married in central park and returned to parlour for his reception, back in mid June
I am indeed closer to Syrian border than I have advised Mrs BT
Alanya
Mornin CQN. May the peace of Jesus Christ be with you all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXjlRCePvUU
Good morning CQN
Just getting ready to go to the game really looking
Forward to it
Come on you Bhoys in Green
God bless you all have a great day
Keep the Faith
Hail Hail
We fought Beneath the green flag of st Patrick ..emblazed with Erin go bragh
Quality tune
6hrs to kick off.. Dragging in.
Ceeeeltic
Many thanks to Taggsy and the boys for another wonderful cqn open and to bjmac for getting me home in time to grab 2 hours kip before heading to the airport. Made it although not in the best of nick…
BT Nae fighting when you’re out there :>)
En route to the game….. Paddy McCourts…
HH
CQN Saturday Naps Competition
Lads, for those who wish to take part in the CQN Saturday Naps competition, please go back and post your nap selection at the end of the previous article :
“Cautious optimism with one weak spot”
Alternatively, if you cannot access the previous article for any reason, then you can send me an email message with your selection to :
fleagle29 at gmail.com
All the best,
fleagle1888
‘mornin’ troops…………….
Stand Up for The Champions…………….
Well played…..
Dermot
Fergus
Brian
Big Peter
and Neil…………..
HH.
Number 1
:-)
Morning all.
Enjoy flag day all you lucky attenders.
Hoping for a morale boosting convincing win.
Good luck to Neil and the bhoys…
Poolside getting busy and wi fi signal getting greatly reduced
Enjoy the day bhoys and girls wherever you find yourself on this flag day
Is this 12 or 13 in a row today o))